One-third of all shops and restaurants checked sold mislabelled seafood. Fish was most often misdescribed on restaurant menus (26%) and at smaller markets (24%). An eighth (12%) of samples from supermarkets was found to be mislabelled.

The most commonly mislabelled species were sea bass (55%) and snapper (42%).

Fish fraud is a global problem

The study also found imported seafood was sometimes marketed as locally-caught, while vulnerable species like the Atlantic halibut were falsely advertised as a more sustainable catch. For example, two outlets in Florida had substituted an Indian Ocean grouper for local delicacy hogfish.

“In cases like these, consumers think they are buying a local fish fresh off the boat, but what they actually receive is something that was imported and sometimes farmed,” the study notes.

The Forum urged nations to work together regionally and to use digital data-sharing technology to trace the source of fish that comes into ports worldwide. In particular, it called for investment in digital catch-monitoring to replace the current largely paper-based systems.

What's the World Economic Forum doing about the oceans?

Our oceans cover 70% of the world’s surface and account for 80% of the planet’s biodiversity. We can't have a healthy future without healthy oceans - but they're more vulnerable than ever because of climate change and pollution.

Tackling the grave threats to our oceans means working with leaders across sectors, from business to government to academia.

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, convenes the Friends of Ocean Action, a coalition of leaders working together to protect the seas. From a programme with the Indonesian government to cut plastic waste entering the sea to a global plan to track illegal fishing, the Friends are pushing for new solutions.

Climate change is an inextricable part of the threat to our oceans, with rising temperatures and acidification disrupting fragile ecosystems. The Forum runs a number of initiatives to support the shift to a low-carbon economy, including hosting the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, who have cut emissions in their companies by 9%.

Is your organisation interested in working with the World Economic Forum? Find out more here.

Oceana called on the US government to tighten regulations on the import and sale of fish to allow it to be tracked from boat to plate. It warns that, at present, it is impossible to see who in the supply chain is falsifying the description of a fish shipment.